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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · arm · spring · stock · date · temple · track · board

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stock — goods
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stock — shares
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. track — a path
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — a committee
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com